Networking architectures have grown increasingly complex in communication environments. This complexity has resulted in numerous protocols being implemented to ensure that network elements are functional and, further, delivering packets in an efficient manner. For example, certain carrier Ethernet Service Providers have expressed interest in having the capability to test connectivity to customer edge (CE) devices using Ethernet technology, without impacting the customer's self-use of Ethernet connectivity fault management (CFM).
This effectively would allow the Service Provider to view the service status as the customer experiences it. There is a current movement to standardize these activities in the Metro Ethernet Forum. This emerging standard defines a Customer Level operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) domain to be used by a test maintenance entity group (MEG). It may require CE devices to implement a test maintenance end point (MEP) (or any other type of maintenance point) that has certain functions disabled by default. The standard leaves it up to the Service Provider to determine where to place the Carrier Test MEP within the network and, further, stops at addressing several significant options.
Thus, the ability to offer a system or a protocol that provides an effective testing mechanism (without hindering system speeds, creating additional unnecessary overhead, or taxing processing capabilities of network components) provides a significant challenge to network designers, component manufacturers, service providers, and system administrators alike.